Workshop: Research Frontiers in Bioinspired Energy

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

0948076 Zolandz This workshop will address the need for a more in depth, interdisciplinary, and cross agency exploration of bioinspired energy conversion systems. The workshop will discuss molecular-level frontiers of energy processes in nature, focusing on biological energy capture, storage, and transformation processes. The workshop will also identify gaps in knowledge, identify barriers to transitioning the current state of knowledge into applications, and suggest underdeveloped research opportunities that might exist beyond disciplinary boundaries. Intellectual Merit: This workshop will meet the need for a more in depth, interdisciplinary, and cross agency exploration of bioinspired energy conversion systems. Many researchers are exploring biological energy systems, particularly in the biological and engineering disciplines. The researchers typically receive funding from different agencies which have varied missions. There can be great benefit from interactions between researchers funded by these different programs, but this does not always happen naturally as each agency works towards its own mission. Consequently, the workshop has the potential to catalyze new research partnerships and to suggest new research topics for members of the scientific and engineering communities to pursue relative to these systems, and their use as models for energy applications. Broader Impacts: This workshop has potential benefits to society, as its outcomes will encourage and facilitate the understanding and development of biologically-inspired energy systems to meet future energy needs. Specifically, understanding and mimicking the biochemical reactions in organisms, which capture, store, and transform energy in a variety of ways, is one logical direction to find such new sources of energy. Furthermore, the workshop will also broaden communication between researchers working on different aspects of biological energy systems. It will inform members of the research community and funding agency managers of current and potential future developments relevant to these systems, and their use as models for energy applications.